No. WD-70-BD-10 (Rev.

1)

INDIAN RAILWAYS

SCHEDULE OF TECHNICAL REQUIREMENT

No. WD-70-BD-10 (Rev.1)

FOR

UPGRADED HIGH TENSILE CENTRE BUFFER COUPLER

FOR
BOXNHL/BCNHL WAGONS

Issued by

RESEARCH DESIGN & STANDARDS ORGANISATION

MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
LUCKNOW-226011

Dec , 2012 Price Rs.4700/-

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 SCHEDULE OF TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR UPGRADED
HIGH TENSILE CENTRE BUFFER COUPLER FOR BOXNHL/BCNHL WAGONS

0. PREAMBLE

Indian Railways suffers a large number of train partings because of coupler and knuckle
breakage which results in heavy losses. Poor quality of CBC components causes large
scale premature replacements of components during maintenance in workshop, depots
and yards. The manpower and material costs of such replacement is very high. Even
after large scale replacement of components during maintenance in workshops depots
and yards, train partings are still taking place which reflect on the poor quality of coupler
components. The direct and indirect cost of train parting is huge.

0.1 CBC of Indian Railways is based on the AAR specification. In 1960 few manufacturers
acquired TOT of Grade B castings from North American Manufacturers. For carrying
longer trains the material of CBC was first upgraded to ‘C’ and then to ‘E’. For
indigenous development and multi sourcing RDSO issued the drawings of CBC including
of gauges in 1980. However the coupler and knuckle failures continued unabated.

0.2 The major problems in the manufacture of the Grade E coupler were
• Difference in chemical composition between the imported Grade E coupler and
the indigenous coupler. The AAR specification did not specify the alloying
elements which was being used by the imported coupler as analysed in RDSO
report No 6375.
• Non achievement of physical properties mentioned in the specification especially
with respect to impact property at -40 deg C. Most of the couplers were breaking
due to lack of this property.
• Improper heat treatment.
• Casting defects
• Poor dimensional control and surface finish.

0.3 To improve the indigenous couplers RDSO constituted a Technology Development

Group comprising of representatives of Wagon, QA and M &C directorates of RDSO
along with representatives of Industry to improve the coupler and it’s specifications.
Three meetings of the Technology Development Group were held on 8.8.2006,
10.10.2007 and 26.06.2009. In addition these issues were also discussed in a meeting
between RDSO and coupler manufacturers on 19.3.2007. The following decisions were
taken in the meeting of the Technology Development Group:

• Implementation of the revised chemical composition including alloying by use of

Nickel, chromium and molybdenum.
• Manufacturers asked to switchover from green sand moulding method to no bake
moulding method by March 2008. Only one firm reported that they had switched
over to completely mechanized PLC controlled high pressure moulding line with
automatic sand plant with sand cooling system and the consistency of the
coupler manufactured by this process was considerably better.

0.4 Inspite of the various initiatives taken by RDSO, there was tardy progress in the
improvement of quality of coupler by various manufacturers as reflected by failures and

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 the results of quality audits conducted and Indian Railway had to take recourse to import
of couplers from AAR approved sources for the new breed of high capacity wagons, viz,
BOXNHL and BCNHL wagons.

0.5 Since import of couplers is not a long term solution, RDSO was assigned the task of
developing a new specification as a long term import substitute for the coupler. The
following approach was adopted :

• Detailed investigation of failed couplers in RDSO. A detailed investigation into

couplers failures reported to RDSO was undertaken and the investigations
reveal that in addition to shrinkage and blow holes the physical properties of the
specifications have not been met in the failed couplers.
• Two failed couplers were sent to National Metallurgical Laboratory for detailed
investigations. As per the detailed investigations carried out the failures were
attributed to improper steel chemistry and presence of casting defects such as
blowholes, porosity, slag inclusions, shrinkage cavities and ten order lower
impact energy. They have concluded that factors such as moisture in moulding
sand, improper ramming of the moulding sand, insufficient venting, improper
degassing of the molten metal can give rise to blowholes and porosity in the
casting. They have stated that shrinkage cavities could be attributed to incorrect
gate design, insufficient metal in the riser to compensate for for contraction and
interrupted metal poring in the mould. They have also concluded that incorrect
microstructure is due to improper heat treatment.
• Two imported couplers to AAR specifications were also tested in detail at
National Metallurgical Laboratory to ensure adherence to specification.
• The RDSO drawings were checked and it was found that couplers manufactured
to these drawings and gauged to it as per RDSO gauges would ensure
interchangeability
• In view of the consistency offered by the no bake process and high pressure
moulding as decided by the Technology Development Group, RDSO got
prototypes manufactured by these processes. These couplers were
manufactured to the chemical composition with alloying elements as stipulated in
48-BD-02 and heat treated. The couplers manufactured by this process have
high dimensional accuracy.
• The prototype couplers were tested at National Metallurgical Laboratory and
exceeded all the parameters for physical properties in the AAR specification. The
impact property at -40 deg C was significantly higher than the AAR
specifications. All the physical properties were from samples taken from product.

0.6 This specification has been pre-validated through these studies to ensure that couplers
manufactured against these match up to international standards and indigenous
manufacturing capability is developed. Taking cognizance of the fact that past
specification upgradations did not result in any commensurate improvement in quality of
couplers manufactured indigenously due to compliance deficiencies, it would be prudent
to progress in a graduated manner, meeting the imperatives of upgradation of
indigenous manufacturing capabilities and tapering of import quantities in a reasonable
time frame . Also, cost repercussions of the new improved specifications will need to be
establish to make it a long term, economically viable solution.

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1.0 FOREWORD

1.1 This specification is intended to cover the technical provisions relating to material,
process, manufacture, tests for couplers, infrastructure for producing such upgraded
couplers and does not include all the necessary provisions of the contract.

1.2 This Specification is issued under the fixed number WD-70-BD-10. The number after BD
indicates year of issue.

1.3 This specification draws reference to the following specifications: -

(i) AAR M 118, M 201, M 205, M 211

(ii) AAR S 172 Section B Part- II & AAR S 137 Section B.

(iii) IS: 1875, 2004, 3885, 5517, 817 & 1181.

(iv) ASTM A 255, A 370, B 208, E 446 and E 604.

(v) IRS R-6.

2.0 SCOPE

This specification covers the supply and acceptance requirements for Upgraded High
Tensile Centre Buffer Coupler and its components, outlines the process of manufacture
and lays down the infrastructural requirements for manufacture of these couplers.
Material requirements for coupler body, knuckle, coupler lock and coupler yoke must
meet various requirements of AAR specifications M-201 and M-205 in addition to
requirements mentioned in this specification.

2.1 CBC will consist of cast and forged components.Cast components are either of grade B
or Grade E.The details are given in the Table-I.

TABLE- 1

S Name of Part Cast/Forged Numbers/Coupler

No.
1. Coupler Body with Shank wear Cast Grade E 1
Plate
2. Knuckle Cast Grade E 1
3. Lock Cast Grade E /Forged 1
4. Knuckle thrower Cast Grade B /Forged 1
5. Knuckle Pin with Anti-theft cotter Forged 1
pin
6. Rotary bottom operated Cast Grade B /Forged 1
articulated lock lift assembly
7. Coupler Yoke Cast Grade E 1

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 8. Yoke Pin Forged 1
9. Yoke pin support with wear plate Cast Grade B 1
10. Striker casting with wear plate Cast Grade B 1

3.0 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

3.1 Coupler Drawings

a) General arrangement of the coupler shall be to RDSO Drg. No. WD-81010-S-03,

latest alteration.

b) Coupler body and shank wear plate shall be to Drg. No. SK-62724 (Item 1 & Item
10 respectively), latest alteration. Shank wear plate shall be welded to the
coupler shank as shown in the drawing.

c) Knuckle shall be to Drg. No. SK-62724 (Item 2), latest alteration. The knuckle
must be manufactured as per applicable requirements of this specification.

d) Lock shall be to Drg. No. SK-62724 (Item 8), latest alteration The lock must be
manufactured by lost wax /investment or forging process.

e) Knuckle thrower shall be to Drg. No. SK-62724 (Item 9), latest alteration. The
knuckle thrower must be manufactured by a lost wax /investment or forging
process.

f) Knuckle pivot pin with securing arrangement shall be to Drg. No. SK-62724 (Item
4), latest alteration.

g) Articulated Lock lift assembly consisting of Toggle, Universal Lock lift lever
connector and Lock lift lever hook shall be to Drg No. SK-62724 (Item 5, 6 & 7
respectively), latest alteration. The knuckle lock lift assembly must be
manufactured by a lost wax/ investment or forging process.

h) Coupler Yoke shall be to Drg. No. SK-62724 (Item 3) latest alteration.

i) Yoke pin shall be to Drg. No. SK-62724 (Item 12), latest alteration.

j) Yoke pin support shall be to Drg. No. WA/BD-4462 latest alteration. Yoke pin
support shall be supplied complete with wear plate welded as shown in drawing.

k) Striker casting and Striker Casting Wear plate shall be to Drg. No. WA/BD-4460
and WD-87056-S-01 respectively, latest alteration. Striker casting shall be
supplied complete with wear plate bolted and tack welded as shown in drawing.

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3.2 Draft Gear and Yoke

The coupler shall be suitable for fitment on freight stock along with Draft gear and its
follower to Indian Railway’s Schedule of Technical Requirement Wd-66-BD-06.

3.3 Gauges

3.3.1 The CBC and all the coupler components shall be gauged with RDSO approved
gauges manufactured as per RDSO Drawings of gauges given in Annexure-I. The
manufacturer must possess at least 3 full sets of gauges out of which one set of gauges
must be reserved for the exclusive use of Inspecting authorities. The accuracy of gauges
shall be checked against the manufacturers, masters. Recalibration shall subsequently
be made in-house on monthly basis for which the manufacturer should have a well
equipped standards room.

3.3.2 The gauges shall be colour coded with suitable colour to distinguish them from the
uncalibrated gauges. The colour of the calibrated gauges used in the month shall be
prominently displayed and updated by the standards section.

3.3.3 The drawings referred to in this schedule of requirements are available on RDSO website
for download as per extant instructions.

3.4 Interchangeability

3.4.1 All couplers and coupler components shall be interchangeable. Manufacture and
inspection for this interchangeability will be audited twice a year. RDSO shall audit the
manufacturing process and shall check 20 couplers at random with the gauges defined
in clause 3.3. This is not withstanding the regular inspection being done by the
manufacturer.

3.4.2 The manufacturer shall provide labour, appliances and other details necessary for the
inspection of the coupler and its components in accordance with this specification at his
own cost.

3.5 Marking

3.5.1 All coupler components should have clear and legible manufacturers' name in short code
and batch No. etc., which shall remain legible throughout the entire service period as
specified in RDSO Drawing No.SK - 62724 (latest alteration). Knuckle shall have the
markings "for manufacturer’s name, serial number, month & year of manufacture etc. as
shown in RDSO Drg. No.WD - 87004-S-l (latest alteration).

3.5.2 The letter size and height of the raised letter shall be as specified in relevant RDSO
drawing. The marking shall be done at the casting stage itself. The manufacturer will not
be permitted to provide manufacturer's code and marking by electric arc welding in case
these are not visible at casting stage. Grade E steel castings shall be identified by raised
letter UHTE.

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3.5.3 The coupler components found having illegible marking at the time of fitment in Railway
Workshops, Maintenance depot or on Wagon Builders premises shall be treated as
rejected and shall be replaced by the manufacturers free of cost. The cost of
transportation shall be borne by the manufacturer.

3.6 Maintenance Spares

The Coupler Manufacturer shall supply all the spare parts required for maintenance of
couplers supplied by them for use on Indian Railways against specific requirements of
Railways. In case of failure, their registration is liable to be cancelled.

4.0 PARTICULAR REQUIREMENTS

4.1 REQUIREMENT FOR KNUCKLE PIN AND YOKE PIN

4.1.1 MATERIAL

Steel 42 Cr4Mo2 to IS: 5517-1993 shall be used for the manufacture of knuckle pin.
Steel class 5 to IS: 1875 -93 shall be used for manufacture of yoke pin.

4.1.2 HEAT TREATMENT

The pins shall be heat treated to meet the requirements specified in Para 4.2

4.2 MECHANICAL PROPERTIES REQUIREMENTS

4.2.1 KNUCKLE PIN

4.2.1.1 The material shall have following minimum requirements:

Tensile Strength Yield Strength Elongation Reduction in Area

Kgf/mm2 Kgf/mm2 % %
103 63 16.5 46.2

4.2.1.2 Hardness value shall be within the range of 229 to 428 BHN. Two or more hardness
determinations shall be made at locations approximately midway between the center
and end of the pin on opposite sides from each other. Hardness shall also be taken at
centre of the diameter of, the pin at mid length. Hardness shall be taken after
decarburization by surface grinding upto a minimum depth of 0.20 mm.

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4.2.2 YOKE PIN

4.2.2.1 The material shall have following minimum requirements:

Tensile Strength Yield Strength Elongation Reduction in Area

Kgf/mm2 Kgf/mm2 % %
95 53 18.5 44.8

4.2.3 Hardness shall be within the range of 262 to 302 BHN. Two or more determinations shall
be made on cylindrical surface at location approximately at the centre and 25 mm from
each end of the pin.

4.3 GAUGING

All-important dimensions of the pin as shown in RDSO Drawings shall be within the
limits when gauged.

4.4 FINISH

The finished pin shall be straight, free of scale and have surface finish of Ra 3.2 µm. It
shall not be painted. There should not be any injurious defects on surface of the pin.

4.5 MARKING

Manufacturer name & year of manufacture shall be stamped on the head of each
knuckle pin and on the end of Yoke pin.

4.6 REQUIREMENT FOR COMPONENTS MANUFACTURED BY STEEL CASTINGS

4.6.1 The casting components shall be manufactured and tested as per the requirement of
respective component specification given in component drawings. Dimensions shall be
checked as per their drawings.

4.6.2 Surface finish requirement shall be as per the standards specified in drawings /
specifications.

5.0 MANUFACTURE

5.1 Material

The material of High Tensile Centre Buffer Coupler components shall be as indicated in
RDSO Drg. No. SK-62724 latest alteration and this specification.

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5.2 Process of Steel Making

5.2.1 All steel melting and refinment must be performed with the use of an Electric Arc
Furnace. Any other process of steel melting may also be employed provided it’s
capability of consistently attaining the required chemisrty of castings is established to
the satisfaction of RDSO.

5.2.2 Ladle Analysis

The ladle analysis of steel when carried out by spectrometer to determine the
percentage of carbon, manganese, phosphorous, sulphur, silicon chromium, nickel &
molybdenum shall conform to requirements in Table 2.
Table -2
Element (%) Grade E Grade B
Carbon 0.28 - 0.33 0.32 (Max)
Manganese 0.60 – 0.90 0.90 (Max.)
Phosphorus max. 0.03 0.03
Sulphur max. 0.03 0.03
Silicon 0.40 –0.60 0.60 (Max.)
Chromium 0.50 – 0.80 ----
Aluminum 0.020 – 0.050
Nickel 0.50 – 0.60 ----
Molybdenum 0.15 – 0.25 ----

5.3 Manufacturing Process

5.3.1 Raw Material

Raw material, scrap and ferro-alloys used for the manufacture of steel castings shall be
analysed in advance and only those conforming to the QAP shall be used. Care should
be taken to ensure that the scrap selected is free from rust, grease, oil and other
prohibited contaminants.

5.3.2 Methoding

i Casting solidification software must be utilized to evaluate castings for potential

defects and to qualify the casting for production.

ii Standardized running, gating and risering system including use of chills and chaplets
shall be developed with the help of casting solidification software and only such
system be employed for regular production of castings.

iii Casting solidity must be verified with the aid of casting solidification software to
achieve proper internal solidity standards. These standards are measured by means
of porosity percentage values. These porosity percentage values must not exceed
the maximum severity levels of a particular sectional area as given in Para 7.2.5.

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5.3.3 Moulding

Moulding shall be carried out by employing either of the following process given below:

(a) High Pressure Moulding Line with Intensive Mixture for Green sand mould with
Automatic Moisture Control and addition of Binder in fixed rates
or
(b) Articulated Mixer (continuous type) with fume extraction facility & Compaction
Table for No-Bake System.

Mould hardness shall be minimum 85 and the same should be uniform at all the surfaces
(within + 5% at all the surface including vertical) so as to get good dimensional accuracy
in castings.

5.3.4 Core making

All cores shall be produced by No-bake process for which continuous mixer with
compaction table/ batch mixer shall be available.

5.3.5 Melting

A sufficiant carbon boil must be accomplished with a 20 point carbon reduction. Double
slag process for proper removal of sulphur and phosphorus shall be followed. Argon
purging may be carried out to ensure freedom from harmful gases. Ladle pre-heating at
600 to 700°C shall be carried out. Temperature checking in Furnace and in Ladle by
Immersion Pyrometer shall be done before pouring in Mould.

5.3.6 Pouring

During pouring in mould, temperature checking by Laser Beam Type Optical Pyrometer
shall be done. After pouring castings shall be allowed to cool to a temperature below
300°C, at a rate that will not be injurious to the castings. Moulding boxes shall be
opened to extract the castings after they have cooled down sufficiently to room
temperature.

5.3.7 Fettling

Risers, runners and ingates shall be removed from the castings. Use of knock-off risers
shall be preferred for improving the surface condition of the castings. All castings shall
thereafter be properly cleaned, dressed and shot blasted to ensure freedom from
surface imperfections, loosely adherent sand, scale etc.

5.3.8 Heat-treatment

All castings shall be heat treated after fettling. Grade E steel castings shall be furnished
normalised, quenched and tempered. Grade B steel castings shall be furnished

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 normalized and tempered. State-of-the-art heat treatment furnaces shall be employed
and must be capable of maintaining an even heat distribution within +/- 10°C throughout.
Verification must be established by performing a minimum of eight zone survey on
monthly basis.

5.3.8.1 Normalized and tempered steel castings shall be processed in the following
order:

Heat to the proper uniform temperature above the transformation range (890- 920 ºC)
and hold for the proper time (1 Hr + 1Hr for each 25 mm section thickness) to achieve
complete austenitization and to refine the grain structure.

Withdraw from the furnace and cool in still air until casting in their entirety are below
300 ºC.

Temper by reheating to the proper uniform temperature below the transformation

range, but not less than 400° C and hold for the required time (1 Hr + 1Hr for each 25
mm section thickness). Remove the castings from the furnace and allow them to cool
to room temp. at any desired rate.

5.3.8.2 Normalised, Quenched and tempered steel castings shall be processed in the
following manner:

Heating shall be done in the Furnace with Automatic Charging Arrangement and
facility to quench within 60 seconds. Castings shall be heated to the proper uniform
temperature above the transformation range (890º- 920ºC) and held for the proper
time (1Hr + 1Hr for each 25mm section thickness) to achieve complete austenization
and to refine the grain structure.

Withdraw from the furnace and cool in still air until casting in their entirety are below
500 ºC.

Castings shall be reheated to proper uniform temperature above the transformation

range (880º- 900ºC) and held for the proper time (1Hr + 1Hr for each 25 mm section
thickness) to achieve complete austenization and to obtain the finer grain structure.

Withdraw from furnace while castings are above the transformation range, subject to
rapid cooling (quenching) in suitable liquid medium in a quench tank to a temperature
substantially below the transformation range. Quenching Tank should have capacity of
more than 10 times of charge with Cooling Tower system along with highly agitated
liquid medium mechanical arrangement from bottom of the tank. Rise in the
temperature of the quench tank after quenching shall not be more than 10 ºC.

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 Tempering should be done within one hour of quenching. Tempering is to be done in
the Furnace equipped with Hot Air Circulation System at the top for better heat transfer
from Hot Air to casting.

Temper by reheating to proper uniform temperature above the transformation range

(590-620ºC) and held for the proper time (1Hr + 1Hr for each 25 mm section
thickness). Hold for the required time, remove from the furnace and allow to cool to
room temperature at any desired rate.

5.3.8.3 All the stages of heat treatment with various temperature ranges of processes shall be
clearly brought out in QAP. Inspecting Authority shall examine it with actual heat
treatment process being followed during quality audit.

5.3.8.4 Heat-Treatment Documentation

The manufacturer is required to develop and document heat-treating standards that

describe the processes, process control procedures, and record keeping requirements.
These documents are to be presented and reviewed as part of the Foundry Approval
Process and are intended to ensure that products are properly heat treated. Furnace
temperatures for heat treatment shall be controlled by pyrometers having associated
recording equipment that produce time-temperature record charts that are identified by
date and furnace number. A log sheet for each load of castings heat treated (batch)
should show all information pertinent to each heat-treat load including the following:

• Type of casting
• Prescribed heat treatment
• Serial numbers and the heat numbers of the castings
• Actual time of heat treatment.
Pyrometers shall be calibrated every 3 months. Records of time-temperature charts,
furnace log sheets, and pyrometer calibrations will be maintained for 3 years and
available to the purchaser upon request.

6.0 TEST SAMPLES

Test samples shall be prepared from the castings (coupler, yoke and knuckle). For all
castings two lugs shall be integrally cast. The location of test lugs shall be such that
when removed, they shall indicate that the steel castings have been subjected to heat
treatment. The standard test lug shall be 25mm in height by 25 mm in width and 13 mm
or 16 mm in thickness where it joins with castings. The samples from the test lugs must
meet the properties of this specification. However when samples are taken from
casting there will be variation from the test coupon depending on the location of
casting. Manufacturer will submit drawings to RDSO regarding location of test piece on
castings, where correspondence with test piece integrally cast will be determined and
finalized to have minimum variation. If test piece is taken from any other location at

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 random from the test coupon, the properties will be at least 80% of stipulated
properties.

6.1 Test coupons

The coupons shall either be cast attached to the castings or the gating system and
prepared in accordance with ASTM Standard A 370, latest revision. All the couplers to
be cast integral with coupon and the same shall be removed only after the inspecting
authority has inspected and passed the lot.

7.0 TESTING

7.1 Chemical Composition

The product analysis shall be carried out on the finished casting by spectrometre.
Permissible variation in the case of such analysis from the limit specified in Table-II
(ladle analysis) shall be as follows:
Table-3
Element Variation percent
Carbon ±0.03
Manganese ±0.04
Silicon ±0.05
Phosphorus ±0.005
Sulphur ±0.005
Chromium ± 0.04
Nickel ±0.03
Molybdenum ±0.03
Aluminum ±0.003

7.2 Mechanical Properties and Tests

Each heat shall be tested for mechanical properties after heat treatment. The coupons
from each melt shall be heat treated with castings of the same grade, in the same
manner as the casting they represent.

7.2.1 Tension Test

Test shall be conducted in accordance with standard Methods and Definition for
mechanical testing of steel products, ASTM standard A 370, latest revision, using 13mm
round, 51mm gauge length specimens prepared from the test coupons / casting as
illustrated in that specification. Specimens shall meet the following requirements:

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 Table-4

Mechanical Property Grade E Grade B

Tensile strength N/sq. mm. (Minimum) 825 485
Yield strength N/sq. mm. (Minimum) 690 260
Elongation on 51mm gauge length (minimum 14 24
%)
Reduction in area % (minimum) 30 36

One specimen per heat for each grade of steel shall be tested. If test specimen shows
a defect during machining or exhibits flaws before or after testing, it should be
discarded and another specimen substituted.

7.2.2 Impact Test

This test consists of determining the average energy absorbed from three-impact
specimen from the same heat. The manufacturer shall carry out test to determine
impact properties by using Standard Charpy-V-Notch type “A” specimen prepared in
accordance with ASTM Standard A 370. Test Specimens shall be prepared from
castings. The test results should meet the following minimum requirements at the
temperatures indicated against them.

Table-5
Cast steel Temp. Deg.C Energy Kg.m.
Grade E - 40 3.50
Grade B -7 2.07

7.2.3 Hardness

The heat treated cast steel components must meet the following Brinell hardness
range as specified in Table-6(i):

Table-6(i)

Grade Hardness(BHN)
Grade E steel castings (except knuckle) 241-311
Grade E, Knuckles 241-291
Grade B, castings 137-208

As Quenched Hardness

The cast steel components after quenching must meet the following Brinell hardness
range as specified in Table-6(ii):

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 Table-6(ii)

Grade Hardness(BHN)
Grade E steel castings Minimum 429

Testing shall be done on a surface (hat has been ground to remove

decarburization) as well as in the core on the sectioned castings in accordance with
ASTM A 370.The hardness shall be checked on the location as shown in Fig-1.
Hardness of the components not shown in figure shall be checked at suitable location.

7.2.4 Nil Ductility Test

Fracture Toughness/Nil Ductility Test test shall be conducted on specimens from

castings in accordance with either ASTM E604 or E208 except that Nil –Ductility
Transition Temperature (NDTT) shall be -57º C or lower for grade E. The test specimen
shall withstand the test without showing any sign of distress.

7.2.5 Destructive Testing

Destructive test shall be carried out on the actual casting during prototype inspection as
well as during acceptance inspection.

One casting per 100 casting shall be subjected to destruction to examine the
presence of casting defects. Defects such as blow holes, slag inclusions, shrinkage, etc.
are not acceptable. Porosity to a level of 2% of the cross section may be considered
acceptable.

Castings are to be sectioned in accordance with Fig-2.Areas to be rated for discontinuity

severity level are illustrated in Fig-3 and Fig-4. Casting areas for evaluation shall be
rated as to level of severity by comparing them with "Standard Reference Photographs
for Casting Solidity” included as Annexure-III of this specification and results shall be
recorded. The rated level of severity for each section must not exceed those listed in the
following table-7:

Table-7

Sectional area Maximum severity Levels

Component Type A B C D E F
Coupler Head 3 5 4 4 4 2
Knuckle 4 4 2 - - -
Coupler Shank 3 4 4 4 - -

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7.3 Non-Destructive Testing

7.3.1 ACCEPTANCE STANDARD FOR RADIOGRAPHIC EXAMINATION

Radiographic examination shall be conducted on Knuckle,Coupler Body & Yoke to the

extent of 5% of the casting produced and level of acceptance shall be as per ASTM E
446 Level-II. The location for Radiographic test shall be as per Annexure-II (Sheet-1 ,
2, & 3). Radiographic testing facility to be available with the manufacturer i.e. testing
to be in-house. The procedure of radiography is given in Annexure-II.

7.4 Metallographic Test

With a view to ensure the homogeneity of the steel and the quality of heat treatment,
it is essential to examine the microstructure of the knuckles at the time of acceptance
inspection. The samples should be taken from the lugs attached to actual castings
produced and not from the separately cast test bars. Microstructure achieved shall
be uniform fine tempered martensite.

7.5 Static Test

Manufacturer's must maintain Internal Process Specification and Quality Assurance

Programme control casting integrity. As a periodic check, a laboratory static test will
be conducted on one (1) specimen of every 5,000 couplers, knuckles and yokes
being produced or once every three (3) or six months according to the following
tabulation, whichever occurs first. If production is less than 1,000 in the frequency
period, no test is required for that period. However, in any case, at least one (1) test
is required per year. The specimen shall represent current production practices.

Table-8
Component Frequency Period
Coupler Body 6 months
Knuckle 3 months
Yoke 6 months

Proof Test

Coupler bodies and knuckles must meet permanent set and ultimate strength
requirements shown in Table-9. The dimensions shown in Fig-5 shall be used for
determining permanent set and result shall be recorded. Special test knuckles for
testing coupler bodies shall have a load capacity in excess of 408 tonnes. When
testing coupler bodies, if test knuckle breaks before required loading is attained, the
test shall be terminated and the load recorded as the " maximum applied load."Test
machines shall have a minimum capacity to meet specified loads and be calibrated
to ASTM standards

16
 Static Tension Test Requirements:
Table-9
Maximum Permanent Set – mm
Grade E Steel
At 181.5 t At 317.5 t Minimum Ultimate
* Knuckle 0.76 - 295 t.
Coupler body - 0.76 408 t.

*Based on testing with dummy knuckle fixture.

Proof Test of Yoke

Method of Testing
The method of testing coupler yokes and measuring permanent set is shown in
Fig-6. The support and loading of the yokes for these tests shall be equivalent to
service application.In making deflection measurements, the measuring instruments
shall be set at zero, after a load of 9 tonnes has been applied and released to datum
load of 2.27 tonnes.The minimum ultimate load shall be considered the load at
which distortion shall not exceed 6 mm over all, measured vertically or laterally.

Test Requirement
The maximum permanent set, measured from the point of load application to the
point of support, and the minimum ultimate load, shall be as shown below:

Maximum permanent set - - - mm

Material of Yoke At 340.20 t. Minimum Ultimate

Grade E steel 0.76 408 t.

7.6 Type and Number of Tests

The quality control organization of the manufacturer should carry out tests as given below.
Records must be maintained for the tests carried out.

S.N. Parameters Test to be Sampling Reference Test

done on plan specification
1. Visual & Operational Check CBC 10% of the Para:8.2 & RDSO Drgs
Components offe red lot 8.4
2. Dimensional CBC 10% of the Para:3.3 RDSO Drgs
Components offered lot
3. Mechanical Properties
i) Tensile Test coupon 1 per heat Para:7.2 ASTM A370

17
 strength
ii) YS
iii) Elongation
iv) RA
4. (i) Proof Static tension test CBC As per Para:7.5 Para: 7.5
(ii)Proof static test of yoke Components Table-8
5. Chemical composition Lug/Test 1 per heat Table-2 IS-228
coupon
6. Microstructure of Knuckle Lug/Test 1 per heat Para:7.4 IS-7739
coupon
7. Hardness Castings 5% of the Table 6(i) IS-1500
castings
8. Destructive test CBC 1 per 100 or Para:7.2.5 Para: 7.2.5
Components part thereof
9. As Quench hardness E Grade 5% of the Table 6(ii) IS-1500
Casting castings
10. Impact CBC Three per Para:7.2.2 ASTM A370
Components heat
11. Nil ductility CBC 1 per heat Para:7.2.4 ASTM E604 or
Components E208
12. Weight variation CBC 10% Para:8.6 Para 14 of
Components AAR M-201
13. Radiographic test CBC 10 % of the Para:7.3.1 Annexure-II
Components offered lot

8.0 INSPECTION

8.1 Inspection procedure

The Inspecting Authority shall have free access at all times, while performing the work on
the contract of the purchaser, to all parts of the manufacturer's works which concerns the
manufacture of the ordered material. The inspector shall comply with all applicable
safety rules and local regulations. The manufacturer shall afford the inspector, free of
charge, all reasonable facilities and necessary assistance to satisfy the Inspector that
the material is being furnished In accordance with this specification. Tests and
inspection shall be made prior to dispatch at the place of manufacture to ensure that
provisions of this specification are being met. Any additional tests must be negotiated
prior to placement of order. All inspections shall be conducted while not interfering with
manufacturing operations. Manufacturer shall set aside one set of gauges for the
exclusive use of inspector. All the drawings in original shall also be made available for
checking the tolerances of these gauges.The cost of all tests and inspection shall be
borne by the manufacturer.

18
The purchase inspection shall be carried out as follows:-

The Inspecting Authority shall first check the records of the manufacturer to ensure that
the item offered for inspection have been manufactured strictly to the requirement of this
specification and QAP of the manufacturer in the manufacturer's premises. A lot is
defined as the total no. of castings offered for inspection and this may include
several heats/batches. A heat is defined as the total quantity of the castings
produced in one melt and heat treated together i.e castings having same chemical
composition. One batch consists of castings having same chemical composition
and undergoing same heat treatment in the heat treatment furnace.

Inspecting Authority should also do at least one in PROCESS inspection during

manufacture of casting for the followings:-

1. Chemical composition
2. Mechanical properties
3. Impact test.
4. Hardness test
5. General requirement of casting acceptance.
6. Requirements of components manufactured other than steel castings.

Records of these inspection shall be verified at the time of inspection

After having been satisfied about offered inspection lot that the components are strictly
manufactured to all the requirement of this specification, the Inspecting Authority shall
carry out the inspection as per procedure given bellow:-

The manufacturer shall submit test results of Coupler / Coupler component offered for
inspection with Heat No., Batch No. marking details and internal test details to
Inspecting Authority. From a lot of 200 Couplers or a part there-of, following inspection
shall be done.

a) Ten percent Coupler shall be dismantled and each casting shall be checked for
the following:-

(1) Gauging of all components with calibrated gauges.

(2) General requirement of casting acceptance.
(3) Marking.
(4) Weight variations.

On identification of a single defect on any of the components, the whole lot shall
be rejected. However the manufacturer can re-offer the lot after carrying out
internal inspection for identification of all defective components. Such defective
component can be repaired or replaced by the manufacturer. In the re-offered lot
Twenty (20) percent coupler shall be checked for the above requirement and
whole lot shall be rejected if a single defect is identified in the re-offered lot.

19
 b) Components other than steel castings shall be checked as per requirement of
this specification for the followings.

(a) Dimensional accuracy

(b) Surface finish requirements
(c) Hardness testing

The dismantled components, if meet the requirements of the paragraph (a)and

(b) above shall be assembled arbitrarily and following shall be checked.

(1) Interchangeability of components

(2) Easy assembly of components
(3) Coupler operation

8.2 COUPLER OPERATION

Assembled couplers must be free of any foreign material that will prevent proper
operations described in this Paragraph. A coupler inspection operating rod is illustrated
in Fig-7.

The Coupler knuckle must rotate to the open position by a continuous rotary force
applied by hand through the inspection operating rod from the rod handle.

The coupler knuckle must rotate to fully closed position to permit drop of the lock to the
locked position by a continuous steady force applied by hand on the knuckle nose.

The coupler lock must automatically drop to the locked position when the knuckle is
closed. The coupler knuckle is locked shut when the lock drops to seat on or within 6
mm of the knuckle tail lock shelf.

The coupler is put on lock set when the knuckle is restrained from opening while force is
applied through the inspection operating rod while trying to raise the lock above the
knuckle tail. When the rod is eased back and released, the lock must rest on the forward
top edge of the knuckle thrower lock leg. The knuckle then must be free to rotate open
by hand force applied on the inside face of the knuckle nose. The coupler then must
perform the function of knuckle closure and lock drop.
Coupler must provide anti-creep protection to prevent accidental unlocking as specified
in Section B, Part II, of AAR Standard S-172, Paragraph 4.2.8. Couplers furnished
complete must be fitted with knuckles of the same grade of steel as the coupler body.
Couplers must be fitted with grade E locks. The assembled coupler must operate as
described in the Section .

The lot shall be rejected on failure of coupler or coupler components on any of the above
requirements. However, the manufacturer can re-offer the lot, after carrying out internal

20
 inspection and replacement or repair of all defective components. In re-offered lot,
double sample will be drawn and all the above metioned requirements (of Para 8.1 and
8.2) shall be checked.

8.3 In addition to the tests mentioned in para 8.1 and 8.2 the inspecting official will conduct
tests as under

S.N. Parameters Test to be Sampling Reference Test

done on plan specification
1 Mechanical Properties
• Tensile strength Test 1 per lot Para:7.2 ASTM A370
• YS Coupon/CBC
• Elongation component
• RA
2 Proof Static
• CBC As per Para:7.5 Para:7.5
tension test Component Table-8
• Proof static test of
yoke
3 Chemical composition Lug/test 3 per lot Table-2 IS-228
coupon
4 Microstructure Lug/test 3 per lot Para:7.4 IS-7739
coupon
5 Hardness CBC 5% of the lot Table 6(i) IS-1500
component
6 Destructive test CBC 1 per Para:7.2.5 Para:7.2.5
Component lot
7 Impact CBC 1 per lot Para:7.2.2 ASTM A370
components
8 Nil ductility CBC 1 per lot Para:7.2.4 ASTM E604
components or E208
9 Weight variation CBC 10% Para:8.6 Para 14 of
components AAR M-201
10 Radiographic test CBC 10 % of the Para:7.3.1 Annexure-II
components offered lot

On failure of sample in any of the above tests, the whole lot shall be rejected. However
the manufacturer can re-offer the lot after removing all the defective components
manufactured in that particular heat in which failed component was cast.
In the re-offered lot double the sample shall be tested provided re-offered lot meets the
requirements of Para 8.1 and 8.2. There should not be any failure in re-offered lot.
The coupler components with illegible marking shall be identified and rejected
from the lot. On completion of inspection and acceptance by inspection authority, the

21
 coupler shall be painted as per paragraph 8.9 of this specification , before inspector’s
approval stamping & dispatch to consignee.The components used for tests etc. from the
lot during purchase inspection shall be replaced free of cost by manufacturer.

8.4 Casting Surface Finish

Riser pads and gate stubs shall not project more than 6 mm above the surrounding
surface at any location. Where interference would exist in the operation or application or
where serviceability would be affected, the riser pads and gate stubs shall be contoured
to surrounding areas.
Castings shall be blasted sufficiently clean to permit thorough, visual Inspection. Prior to
shipment, castings shall be free of dirt, rust, or loose material that would affect operation.
Couplers must not be sand or shot blasted when completely assembled.
The castings shall not be painted or covered with any substance that will hide defects.
However, manufacturer's and/or purchaser’s paint identification marks are
acceptable.

8.4.1 Surface Finish Acceptance Level

The minimum acceptable surface conditions for the defects described below shall
govern. Acceptable surfaces shall be defined utilizing Steel Castings Research and
Trade Association (SCRATA) Comparators for the Definition of Surface Quality of Steel
Castings (1981). The listed defect classification does not apply to inaccessible areas.
Surface defects described herein do not preclude the requirements of proper gauge
application as defined elsewhere in this specification.

Surface conditions evaluated with SCRATA comparators:

Critical Area (Fig-8) Non Critical Area (Fig-8)

A Surface Roughness A3 A3
B Surface Inclusion B2 B4
C Gas Porosity C2 C3
D Laps D1 D4
E Scabs E2 E2
F Chaplets F2 F4
G Thermal Dressing G2 G3
H Mechanical Dressing H3 H4
J Welds J2 J3

Surface conditions B and C are acceptable if the depth of the defect does not exceed
ten (10) percent of the section thickness at critical areas and twenty- five (25) percent
of the section thickness in non-critical areas.

Surface conditions not evaluated with SCRATA comparators

22
 Offsets greater than ten (10) percent of the casting wall thickness are not permitted.
(Offsets: An offset is an abrupt, unintentional change in the casting surface.)
Cracks, hot tears, cold shuts, and weld cracks , which are visually apparent, are not
permitted Zone 1 areas must be prepared in accordance with Fig 9.

8.5 Wall Thickness

Wall thickness tolerances except where controlled by gauges or RDSO's drawings,

are:

6 mm up to, not including 11mm wall, + 3 mm - 0.8 mm

11 mm up to, not including 19mm wall, + 3 mm - 2.4 mm
19 mm up to, not including 32mm wall, + 3 mm - 3 mm
32 mm and over, + 4.8 mm - 4 mm

8.6 Weight Variation:

Variation in weight of coupler body, yoke and other components, viz. knuckle, lock,
rotary parts, shall not vary more than FIVE percent above or THREE percent below what
has been determined as the average weight, ascertained from the actual weight of 20
nos. of each of the coupler components verified for each dimensional accuracy in
presence of Inspecting Authority at the time of approval. Those coupler components,
which do not fall within the prescribed limits of weight variation, shall be rejected by
manufacturer.

8.7 Illegible Markings

Illegible markings are markings that do not conform to Paragraph 3.5 and Coupler
components with illegible markings shall be rejected.

8.8 Lubrication

Only dry lubricant shall be applied to the coupler head or the coupler head fittings. This
lubricant may be applied using water, alcohol, or other non-petroleum based carrier.

8.9 Painting

Only exposed surfaces of Coupler and Yoke shall be painted with Black quick drying
paint in accordance with IRS R 6. Paint must not be applied to the inside of the Coupler
or internal fittings. Painting shall be done after the completion of inspection on Coupler &
Yoke of acceptable casting lot.

23
9.0 GUARANTEE

The coupler supplied shall be accompanied by a guarantee for a period of 72 months

from the date of supply or 60 months from the date of fitment, whichever is earlier.

10.0 RECORD OF INTERNAL ACCEPTANCE TESTS:

The manufacturer will maintain a list of all internal acceptance tests being carried out by
him at various stages of manufacturing of the product. Proper record of such internal
acceptance tests shall be maintained by him and also included in the QAP. At the time of
inspection of the product, these records shall be put up to the Inspecting Authority for
scrutiny and countersign.

The manufacturer shall maintain records for a minimum period of six years of all weights,
mechanical test reports, chemical test reports and heat treatment records applicable to
the purchased castings. These records shall be made available to the purchaser upon
request. The manufacturer shall also maintain records for a minimum of six years that
provide traceability from the serial number of individual castings, where applicable to the
records stated above.

11. 0 MINIMUM FOUNDRY INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIREMENTS

11.1 A foundry producing coupler castings should have the capacity to produce at least 5000
couplers and coupler components per year..

11.2 To ensure dimensional and feature control, the castings shall be produced by one of the
following moulding processes mentioned in Clause 5.3.3 of this specification for which
the necessary infrastructure should be available.

11.3 The foundry must have the ability to conduct all the tests mentioned in this specification.

11.4 Chemically bonded no bake sands out of a articulated continuous mixer with PLC control
shall be used to produce casting cores for which necessary infrastructure should be
available.

11.5 Melting furnace capacity should be a minimum of 5 MT utilizing electric arc.

11.6 Heat treating furnaces should be capable of holding at least 3 MT of castings and
reaching and maintaining temperatures of 950 deg C. Furnaces should have automatic
temperature control and be capable of operating as low as 500 deg C and fitted with a
automatic digital recorder.

11.7 Other equipment to meet the requirements of this specification should be available.

24
11.8 The foundry shall hold a valid Quality Assurance Certification as per AAR M1003 or ISO
9001.

12.0 PROCESS FOR THE QUALIFICATION, APPROVAL AND VENDOR PROGRESSION

OF A CASTING FOUNDRY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF RAILROAD COUPLERS

12.1 For consideration of foundry approval to produce couplers, yokes, knuckles, and coupler
parts the manufacturer must have the minimum infrastructure listed in Clause 11 of this
specification. Thereafter the manufacturer shall submit a foundry approval application to
RDSO containing the following information

• A description of the facilities, processes and capabilities, along with detailed

information on quality control procedures.
• A list of all components to be produced at the facility.

12.2 Along with the application the foundry will request RDSO for an inspection only after
fulfilling the following requirements

• Their infrastructure is compliant with this specification and they meet the eligibility
requirements.
• They will be in a position to manufacture 25 couplers during the visit of RDSO audit
team.

12.3 INSPECTION OF MANUFACTURING FACILITY AND PROCESSES:

RDSO shall send a team for carrying out an audit of the manufacturing facilities and the
quality assurance system to verify if the foundry is capable of manufacturing couplers to
this specification. To facilitate the audit 25 couplers will be manufactured by the foundry
seeking approval. The inspection procedure shall also include a review of the following
items:

• Plant operation and procedures, including confirmation of certification tests,

production and quality equipment inspection, employee interviews and finished
product defect levels
• Process control plans, including critical inputs, outputs and specification limits,
sample size and frequency, control method and reaction plan.
• Critical processes, including practices for pattern and core boxes, core making,
moulding, melting, pouring, cleaning, heat treating and casting quality.
• Organisation, verifying separation between production and quality control
responsibility, resolution mechanism for non conforming product and controlled
disposition of non conforming product.
• Personnel, verifying procedures for qualifying employees, training of new employees,
and existence of competent expertise.

25
12.4 TYPE TEST :

First article inspection of the couplers for dimensional control as per gauges will be
carried out. Two samples will be picked up by RDSO team and sent to National
Metallurgical Laboratory for type testing. RDSO at its discretion may send the samples to
another laboratory as well. The test charges will be borne by the manufacturer.

12.5 In case the inspection and type tests are satisfactory, RDSO will grant an approval
for supply as a developmental source. A developmental source will normally be
issued developmental orders up to a cumulative limit of 5000 units.

12.6 Non conformances shall be reported to RDSO and the manufacturer, identifying the
failed material or service provided by the manufacturer. The initiator of non conformance
reports may include the wagon builder or owner or Indian Railways. The non
conformance report shall identify the product, a description of the non conformance and
disposition of the product. The manufacturer shall respond to the report within 30 days,
identifying the root cause and corrective action plan to address the non conformance. A
follow up plan shall also be included to ensure that the corrective action is effective and
permanent. Inadequate or ineffective response to non conformance will initiate a process
of decertification at the discretion of RDSO.

12.7 A manufacturer will obtain Part II status if the following is met:

• 2000 couplers have completed one year of satisfactory service.

• Satisfactory type tests on two couplers which have completed one year of service.
Samples picked up from the field must meet the physical and chemical properties of
the specification.
• No unresolved non conformances or not more than two line failures per year on
manufacturing account.
• An audit of the manufacturing facility by RDSO/ RDSO nominated third party to
ensure that requirements of Clause 12.2 are being met.

12.8 A manufacturer will obtain Part I status when the following is met:
• 2000 couplers have completed one POH of satisfactory service
• Manufacturer should have manufactured 10000 couplers.
• No unresolved non conformances or not more than two line failures per year on
manufacturing account
• An audit of the manufacturing facility by RDSO/ RDSO nominated third party to
ensure that requirements of Clause 12.2 are being met.

26
13.0 REQUIREMENT OF CONTINUED UPGRADATION OF MANUFACTURING
TEHNOLOGY;

Manufacturers who achieve Part-II or Part-I status under this specification will be
required to upgrade their infrastructure and processes to meet the following
requirements within four years of issue of this specification:
• Use of single piece cores.
• Fatigue testing of knuckles in accordance with AAR specification M-216.
• Casting component non destructive testing requirements as per AAR M-220
Non compliance with the above may lead to withdrawal of approval.

14.0 AUTHORITY TO MAKE DEVIATIONS/RELAXATIONS FROM THIS SPECIFICATION

14.1 Normally there should be no deviation from this specification. Adhoc relaxations/
deviations often lead to dilution of technology and limits the quality and performance of
the indigenous manufacture. A well structured regime shall be followed put in place to
administer any deviation/modifications in this specification after its finalization. Similar
practice is also followed by AAR in respect of their coupler specifications.

14.2 Deviations to this specification shall be examined by the following “ Coupler Standards
Committee” comprising the following functionaries of Indian Railways and RDSO:

• Executive Director Standards, Wagon, RDSO as convener

• Executive Director Standards, Carriage, RDSO
• One SAG officer from Railways to be nominated by the Railway Board

Deviations/Modifications may be moved by manufacturers, users or by RDSO design

directorates. The Coupler Standards Committee shall submit its recommendations to the
Railway Board for approval before incorporating/ permitting the same.

********

27
 Annexure-I

GAUGES TO ENSURE INTERCHANGEABILITY OF COUPLER AND ITS PARTS

GAUGE NO. DESCRIPTION

COUPLER WD-84073-S-1-RC 10A Contour Gauge
HEAD WD-84073-S-2-RC Bottom Anticreep-Vertical Location
WD-84073-S-3-RC Bottom Anticreep-Horizontal Location
WD-84073-S-4-RC Top Anticreep-Vertical location
WD-84073-S-5-RC Pivot Lug
WD-84073-S-6-RC Pin Protector
WD-84073-S-7-RC Pulling Lug Gauge - Knuckle side
WD-84073-S-8-RC Pivot Pin
WD-84073-S-9-RC Lock Chamber
WD-84073-S-10-RC Lock Hole
WD-84073-S-11-RC Rotary Lug
WD-84073-S-12-RC Shank End Pin Hole
COUPLER WD-84073-S-41-RC Knuckle Bottom Pulling Lug
PARTS WD-84073-S-42-RC Knuckle Movable Point
WD-84073-S-43-RC Knuckle Hub
WD-84073-S-44-RC Knuckle Tail Height
WD-84073-S-45-RC Knuckle Top Pulling Lug
WD-84073-S-46-RC Knuckle Tail Shelf
WD-84073-S-47-RC Knuckle Pin Hole
WD-84073-S-48-RC Knuckle Length
WD-00041-S-01 Gauges for Knuckle
WD-84073-S-56-RC Lock Contour Guard-Arm Side
WD-84073-S-57-RC Lock Contour - Knuckle Side
WD-84073-S-58-RC Lock Toggle
WD-84073-S-59-RC Lock Parallel and thickness
WD-84073-S-60-RC Lock Slot
WD-84073-S-61-RC Lock Toggle Arm Width-Go & No Go
WD-84073-S-66-RC Knuckle Thrower Contour
WD-84073-S-67-RC Knuckle Thrower Trunion
WD-84073-S-76-RC Lock Lift Assembly
WD-84073-S-77-RC Composite Gauge for Connector
WD-84073-S-78-RC Composite Gauge for Hook
WD-84073-S-79-RC Composite Gauge for Toggle
WD-84073-S-96-RC Knuckle pivot Pin Dia. & Length GO&NO GO
COUPLER WD-84073-S-15-RC Shank Height
SHANK WD-84073-S-17-RC Shank Butt Width
WD-84073-S-18-RC Pin Hole Shank Wail Thickness
WD-84073-S-19-RC Butt Rear Wall Thickness
WD-84073-S-20-RC Pivot Pin Hole
WD-84073-S-21-RC Shank Height with Wear Plate
WD-84073-S-22-RC Shank Length (Non-Transition)
WD-84073-S-23-RC Shank Butt End Contour
WD-84073-S-24-RC Spherical Butt and Pin Hole
WD-84073-S-25-RC Shank Butt Height

28
 Annexure- II
Procedure for Radiography of Knuckle

Procedure:

1. Radiograph shall be taken in open space.

2. Gamma Radiography shall be used for radiography.

3. Source of radiography shall be put into the pin Holes.

4. Put the Radiography film outside the pin Holes as shown in photograph.

5. Appropriate penetrameter shall be keep over the radiography film.

6. Sensitivity of radiography shall be set 2% of the thickness of the castings.

7. Radiography shall be taken for area of knuckle shown in the photographs.

Acceptance Standard:

Acceptance Standard shall be ASTM 446 (Reference Radiographs for steel casting

upto 2 in. (51 mm) in thickness), Volume-II.

(i) Sensivity of radiography shall be 2% of the thickness of casting.

(ii) Defects like Gas Porosity, Sand & Slag inclusion and Shrinkage upto Level-II shall be
accepted.

(iii) Defects like Hot Tear, Crack, Insert, and Mottling shall not be permitted.

29